


In the Afterlife

by onenotseen



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Reality, Gen, M/M, Plot Deviates from Canon, Slow Burn, old fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-01-08 12:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12254514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onenotseen/pseuds/onenotseen
Summary: Naruto takes on the responsibility of finishing off Sasuke, knowing that he will die in the process. When he actually goes to do the deed, they do both die, but some other power will not let them leave until they complete a task. A task that generations of ninja before them failed countless of times. And they must complete it together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is a fic that I have been working on for a long time, since before the end of the Naruto series. Take some of the plot with a grain of salt, as it deviates from the events that really do take place in the series. I hope you enjoy

**Prologue**

Everyone was being put against each other. Everyone was wanting to take all of the burden on themselves, when the truth of the matter is that there is only one person who is suited for the job. Pain is not always felt directly from a source, is what I learned from observing and sharing the pain of my best friend. And also, I share the pain that he caused countless of other people, and societies. It is no one’s fault that Sasuke ended up like this because he chose this path. Well, perhaps it is the fault of those who encouraged his anger and exploited his hate for their own gain. It started with that snake bastard, and it ended with the masked man. Or at least, it will end there. Kakashi-sensei told me later that Sasuke is a perfect example of the result of the times that we are in. I completely disagree.

You can’t just chalk him up to one thing. I know firsthand, that despite my and others’ efforts to understand him, it will always be worth nothing because he does not understand himself. And I know who that person is, beyond the burdens, beyond the hate and pain, and beyond the power. Sakura sincerely wanted to understand, and to be able to make things okay, but she didn’t realize back then that you cannot do that. To be honest, I had no idea either. But now, I know the answer. I even think I knew it before that last time that I looked him in the eyes, and exchanged the attacks that intermingled the deepest feelings in our hearts. When he said, “I have no plans to die,” I think he was really saying, “I am afraid of death.”

 In that sense, I knew that I had long since left the universe in which he is encompassed, and reached a new level of understanding in the world. And that one moment, I knew I could conquer whatever challenges were to happen in the future because I am not afraid of death, and my will cannot waver. Packing my bags to head to my death is one of the hardest things I have ever done.

My first visitor was, surprisingly, Sai. A gentle knock interrupted my folding of the sheets on my bed. The last time I will ever tell myself to do the chore of making the bed. As a ninja, I do not dare call out and grant permission for the mystery person’s entry. Honestly, I cannot sense peoples’ chakra when I am not in sage mode, so I have to go to the door, put on my sandals, look out the peephole, and then open it when I recognize the visitor.

“Naruto-kun,” he says, immediately upon seeing my face. I give a grin, partly genuine and partly keeping up appearances for my own sake. People know that I have been having a rough time. The “rough time” is the reason why I am ending my life early.

“Sai? Is something wrong?” I ask, casually puzzled.

“Isn’t this as friends say, ‘coming over to hang out’?” Sai examines my face.

“Well, if that is what you are doing,” I answer, opening the door wider to let him in. He enters and removes his sandals delicately.

“Ahh, so this is your apartment, Naruto-kun,” he hums, observing the copious amounts of trash on the floor, which I was going to clean up after making my bed.

“Yeah,” I frown, “I was just cleaning stuff.”

“I see…” Sai intones, looking a bit ill at the smell coming off of the garbage, but mostly the milk carton. Without hesitating, I make about ten clones and give them cleaning tasks. They answer to their ‘boss’ and make my living space my welcome. Sai helps himself to the kitchen chair. I flop onto the table. Dammit, things are always so awkward with Sai, yet he just sits there, smiling. He sees the nervous expression on my face, and ceases the smile.

“Actually,” he says, “there was something I came to discuss with you.”

“Oh, really?” I ask. This is kind of rare. “It doesn’t really sound like good news…”

“It’s not.” Ever blunt, Sai. “I just came to say, that I will be dealing with Uchiha Sasuke, and I will be setting out tomorrow.”

I could tear my hair out, but I settle on a long sigh. “Sai…No. I already told everyone what I have to do. I’m not saying anything about your strength as a ninja, but I’m the only one who can do it.”

“I knew you would say that, Naruto-kun,” Sai grins, perhaps a bit sadly, but you can never really tell with him. “But as I was the replacement for his spot on Team 7, I believe it is up to me to give support and do what you three have been avoiding all this time.”

“…Did Kakashi-sensei set you up to do this?” I ask, slowly. My hands are clenched into fists.

“No,” Sai replies, nonchalant, “It was something I deemed necessary of my own accord. Without Danzo-sama, I no longer have someone to answer to. I am acting out of my own discretion, I guarantee you.”

“I believe you,” I say, nodding, which makes Sai smile. “However, it is more important that you do not take on that task. Look, Sai, I get that you have good intentions, but you just don’t understand.”

“I don’t?” He frowns, “I studied so hard this week. I read every book about friendship in the library. Sakura-san answered my questions when I got stuck. I even…tried to think about it on my own. This was the best solution I could come up with.”

“In an ideal world, Sai, it would be,” I reply, feeling bad for the guy. “But friendship is also about trust, you know? Believing in the strength of your friends and their decisions. And this is one of those times where you have to believe that I am making the right decisions on my own.”

“You’re right, Naruto-kun,” Sai says after a minute of staring at the table. “I did read about trust, and it seems like you are right. I just…wanted to help you.”

“You already helped enough,” I assure, grinning wide.

“Really? How?”

“By being my friend.”

                  The next visitor, not surprisingly, was Kakashi-sensei. Not one for commonalities, he pops up literally right in front of my face as I am about to take a slurp of noodles from my cup ramen.

                  “Ahhhghhh,” I yelp, splashing the soup on my nose.

                  “Yo,” he grins, waving hand by his head.

                  “What the hell? Can’t you see I’m eating ramen?” I shout, indicating wildly to him and the steaming cup.

                  “Yeah,” he grunts, slipping off the table and standing over my chair. I ignore him when he doesn’t say anything, and go for the noodles with my chopsticks once more.

                  “Aren’t we going to exchange pleasantries?” He asks, shrugging his hands in the air.

                  “Since you can’t use a door, no.” I slurp loudly.

                  “Fine, fine, have it your way. But I have something to discuss with you.”

                  This piques my interest, and I stop slurping and gulp down the food. “What is it? Is Sakura-chan okay?” I leap out of my seat, knocking my chopsticks to the ground. I swear, and rescue them, but it is too late. I guess I will be eating my ramen with my hands.

                  “Why would you assume that something is wrong with Sakura?” he asks, unaffected by my overzealousness.

                  “Well, let’s face it, Kakashi-sensei, you never have something to say to me unless it urgent.” Kakashi frowns. At least I think he does, behind his mask.

                  “Have a seat, Naruto,” he orders, not giving me a choice because he grabs my shoulders and forces me back into my kitchen chair.

                  “Don’t stand behind me like that. It’s creepy.” I pout.

                  “Fine, fine,” He sighs, circling around to stand in front of the table. He lingers, for a moment, before slamming both hands on the poor plastic surface. “I’m going after him.”

                  “Whaaaaaaa?” I’m freaking out, mostly because the table slamming scared the shit out of me.

                  “I will finish him,” Kakashi says, eye staring wildly at the table. “He is my student, and my responsibility.”

                  Once I come to grips with what he is saying, I frown. “Hell, no, not you, too.”

                  “Me too?” the masked man asks, tilting his head like a dog.

                  “Sai,” I explain. “He came over yesterday, demanding that he kill off the one he replaced. Why can’t people understand that I’ve got it covered?”

                  “But, Naruto—”

                  “No, I don’t want to hear it. I’m not listening,” I cover my ears and shake my head. “Besides, sensei, Sasuke knows your fighting style. He probably knows every little trick you have because of Madara. Also, I could never live with myself if I sat back and watched other people complete what I promised to myself I would do.”

                  “I want to protect your precious dream, Naruto.” Kakashi folds his arms, closing his eye in thought.

                  “I’ve told you before sensei,” I say, sheepishly, “I cannot even think of becoming Hokage if I cannot even rescue my best friend.”

                  Kakashi nods, perhaps even grinning through the mask. “I understand. But you had better come back alive, or Konoha will forever scorn you.”

                  “So much pressure, sensei,” I laugh, rubbing the back of my head as he nods. Yet, I cannot do what he is asking. _The next generation has far surpassed us old guys,_ Sharingan Kakashi thinks as he departs the dinky apartment through the window. _Sensei, would you make the same choice?_

Granny Tsunade is the most persistent out of all. She requests my presence at her office, to which I am greeted with the sight of all of my comrades. Even Shizune-neechan is there. All eyes immediately center on my person upon entering.

                  “Naruto!” Tsunade shouts, spit flying. “We have all assembled to assist you in the assassination of the rogue ninja, Uchiha Sasuke. You cannot refuse this offer, as it is a demand from the Hokage.”

                  I nervously glance around, cowering under the harshness of the demands. I’m about to open my mouth to speak, when she interjects.

                  “Everyone is armed and prepared to depart for tomorrow, so you had better go get ready. That is all, you are all dismissed.”

Everyone is looking around, unsure, but hastily making their way towards the door. The Hokage sure is convincing. Wait, no.

                  “Wait, wait, wait, wait, NO!” I gasp out, finally, arms forming in a X shape. “This is not going to happen, Granny Tsunade.”

                  I swear I hear her say “damn” under her breath. Perhaps she was hoping I would have to roll with it if I could not speak to object. My suspicions are confirmed when Shizune snorts a beat later.

                  “This is no time to be stubborn,” Tsunade sinks into her chair, eyes closed and forehead burrowing inward. “If only I had dealt with him earlier. Even if  you were sad earlier, we wouldn’t have the situation that we are in now.”

                  “Granny Tsunade…” I say, slowly, “I failed my mission to rescue Sasuke so many times. It is only my fault. And now, I know that I can end this once and for all! So let me try it my way, one last time.”

                  My peers hover in the door, hanging on to every word being exchanged. They, of course, want to _eliminate_ Sasuke, but still respect my opinion. The granny, of course, thinks that since she is an adult and the Hokage that she needs to protect me. Well, I think that I have displayed enough strength and maturity to handle this one last kid. I voice this to the female medic-nin. She is silent for a few minutes, steepling her hands and staring at the desk. I can only think that she must be imagining those whom she had bonds with that died to protect Konoha as well. I know the pain now. The pain of losing someone irreplaceable. Someone like a brother and someone like parents. _Like family._ But, I also came so close to losing my village. And to think that people were relying on my strength to survive…is not something I can take so lightly. All the bonds I have made, I am so grateful for. However, it is the pawns job to protect the king. And Granny Tsunade knows that.

                  “Fine,” she grunts, “but allow us to help you with anything that we can do beforehand.”

                  “Yes, ma’m!”

 

                  Konoha is vibrant on the morning I leave. The energy surrounding the still half-built village is one of hope, and unity. I breathe in the air, gazing at the faces carved in stone that lay on the mantelpiece of the people below. Even when approaching footsteps to my left stop, I do not turn to look.

                  “I guess this is goodbye,” Sakura says loudly from behind.

                  “Yeah…”

                  “Kakashi sensei always did say that you were the world’s number one most unpredictable ninja.”               

                  “He did, didn’t he?” I laugh, full and bright, “I sure will live up to that title, won’t I?”

                  There is a silence on Sakura’s part. I know what she is thinking, even without looking. I know that she is holding back tears. I want to hug her, remind her that I will always love her. But, of course, I’m not in the same place in her heart. And because of what I’m setting off to do, she will never be acknowledged by her important person. But she understands. The three of us will meet in the afterlife. Free, and without burden.

                  I look one last time, and then jump to the ground. The gates are the only ones watching my back as I leave the one place I had in the world.


	2. The Avenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto, having gotten intel from Konoha, seeks out the Akatsuki hideout in order to find Sasuke.

_And now we find our protagonist in the forest once more, stalking the rogue nin from his own precious homeland. At first, when he was assigned this assassination mission, he felt doubt about killing someone from his own village. But then, he remembered a promise he made. Not only to the village, but to his friends. A promise that he would be the tool required of a ninja. And he would protect the citizens and future generations if it is within his power. Renewed once more with a flame in his eyes, he pushes on deeper into the unknown._

I snap the book shut, and stare again at the worn cover. Pervy sage. This is what you left for me. I think I finally understood you. But will that help me in what is to come? I increase my pace through the trees, checking for enemy nin once more. I have far since learned that stealth is important at all times. I may have gotten away with stuff when sensei, Sakura, and Sasuke were with me, but they aren’t here now. My scanning proves fruitful as I notice a few paper bombs attached to ninja wire. I quickly dodge, but do not bother to dismantle. Whoever set them up could be signaled if their traps are tampered with.

Then again, I am right outside the hidden village of grass. If anyone set traps here, it was probably from the war on their borders ten years ago. Even Konoha wouldn’t let grass ninja in the village until a year before the chuunin exams. But those were the small remnant battles of the third great ninja war. Things were getting stable again. Until the Akatsuki. I clench my fists hard. Damn them. Even if I was a sucky student in the academy, some of the history had stuck with me. War. It is so harmful. Do we try to make peace with war? It is a double edged blade.

                  I realize that the scenery is started to change quite a bit. Am I getting near the ocean already? The dirt and grass on the ground is starting to look more dusty, like sand. I wonder if I’m getting anywhere near the area that Anko reported the hideout to be. She is still missing in action. I get the feeling that it has to do with Orochimaru, even though I did learn of his death, which was confirmed by prisoner of war, Karin. Even though she was betrayed by that bastard, she would not reveal any intel about him. Why do girls love Sasuke so much? He never shows interest in them at all, that jerk. Ino, Sakura, and that Karin girl. They all care for him.

                  Anyway, I pull out the map drawn by one of the ninja who had made it back to Konoha after their team was ambushed by a man in a black cloak. His features were indistinguishable. Even Ino’s dad wasn’t able to extract an identity from the ninja’s memories. The man, however, was capable of drawing a very detailed map. He even had a description of what the hideout looks like from the outside. _The caves lie in a semi-circle around what seems to be the skeleton of a very large beast. There are cliffs overlooking this area, which is all dirt and seems to be carved out of the side of a smaller cliff. The ocean is northwest from the hideout if you are viewing it head on._

The ocean was certainly coming up in the north according to the salty quality of the air and the map. If my predictions are anything to go by, I will get there by sunset. Should I camp out first? That would certainly increase the chance of me being detected and caught. That would put me in a very terrible place…I don’t think I can handle the Akatsuki. We do not even know the full extent of their strength. The key is to go in, find Sasuke and then fight him. If someone else finds me first, they won’t hesitate to kill me.

                  Okay, it is decided. I’ll go right in after making a plan.

 ~

                  The sky is melting into a swill of blue, lavender and orange when I finally get within visible distance to the hideout. I had to move slowly for the last few miles because if I went full speed, I might have jumped right off the cliff. But currently, I am resting in a high tree branch, leaning with my back against the trunk, trying to strike up the nerves of steel that I am famous for. Well, not famous. Well, kind of.

                  Anyway, the more I plan, the more confident I get. Would I like to go barging in, ranting and raving and forcing my way through? Hell yes. Will that help me succeed in my mission? Uh….maybe. But maybe is not exactly an acceptable response in this situation. _Sasuke,_ I think, staring out into the horizon beyond the cutout of land. _Can you sense that I’m here?_

 ~

                  Meanwhile, in a room of dirt, devoid of even a scrap of light, a body stirs from the mattress which it lay perfectly still only a minute earlier. A boy of sixteen turns his head to the far wall, eyes luminescing in a blood red glow. Within the flesh and DNA of the eyeballs themselves, a legacy of hatred and murder sings. The eyes that he took from his own brother. The eyes had previously been dormant, shut and dark behind eyelids, but something began calling to them. Something familiar, something _kin._ Its own chakra. Yes, that is correct. The chakra belonging to the one who once bore those eyes is very near. _But how?_

The owner of the eyes snarls, feral and scary. No more of this. No more pain, just anger. Something was going to happen soon, and his eyes are finally ready for it.

 

                  Back in Konoha, there is an aura of depression in the air. It is not between the whole village, but a select two generations of ninja. The leader of the village, the Hokage herself, is nervously drinking tea while she examines various papers on her desk. The majority of them read something like, “Loan Notice” or “Bankrupt”. Despite this, the blond haired woman is also filling out lottery ticket information. Smiling at a card that reads ¥-20,000, she slurps some more tea.

                  Across town, one copy cat ninja and his green beast of a friend are racing across a lake on floating logs. They match each other step for step, yet when they get to the end, Tenten voices that it was indeed another victory for the white haired ninja. They all laugh at Guy’s tears of defeat, when really they all have the same thing at the back of their minds.  

                  A dark haired kunoichi ponders those thoughts in the forefront of her mind, her family around her not noticing that something is bothering her because she is always so silent anyway. Thinking of him helps her deflect the harsh glares she receives from her jealous cousin and expectant dad. She never did receive a reply to her confession, but she is glad to have been the one to protect him, even for a moment.

                  A certain academy teacher struggled to remember his lesson plans all day, often shortening the class by an hour, or forgetting that class ended an hour earlier than he anticipated. A few other teachers inquired about his health, but he replied that he was just a bit more tired than usual. A few knowing glances, however, confirmed that to not be entirely true.

~ 

                  It was all very simple. Go in under the dark cover of night, stealthily creep around and hopefully overhear where the bastard currently is. Not only that, but I will hide a couple of kage bunshin as kunai, shuriken and my orange and black jacket. The actual jacket…I don’t know what to do with. Perhaps leave it on a tree. I also prepare about thirty paper bombs. I might need them to bust open walls.

Anyway, when I learn where he is, I plan an ambush. Of course, he will probably sense me coming long before I can ambush him. Not that it matters. I can sense chakra now as well, in sage mode.

                  After one last run in my head of the scenarios, and checking to make sure my preparations seemed complete, I head out beyond the bushes, and quickly jump to the ground below. To blend in, I transform into an armadillo. Stupid, yes, I know. But it can spare me if someone glances briefly over. Of course, with that Tobi guy, I would probably be found out eventually in this form.

                  Approaching the tunnel in the center on the lowest semi circle, I check my surroundings for any sign that there is a trap. I don’t hear, see or sense chakra in this area, so I go into the dark of the underground. I wander down the hall, which is completely black with darkness, still in armadillo form. Visibility would probably be none if I weren’t an animal.

Just barely, I make out stairs that jut directly downward from the hallway. Nothing else is notable, so I head down the stairs, moving rather slowly. I get to the bottom of the landing, but suddenly there is a disturbance in the air. Adrenaline shoots through my veins, and I don’t even have time to undo my disguise before a very tall figure in white looms over me, bandages curled around his neck and black hair disturbed by movement. My little armadillo body quivers.

_Sasuke._ My hear thumps, loud and strenuous. _So you really were here all along._ All time seems to pause and it feels almost like the sound is gone from the world, but then we both move. I release my transformation in a puff of dust and reach to grab a right wrist and shield my liver. Sasuke’s hands were aimed to punch out my vital organs with one Chidori and one fist. I had to use some of my chakra to move fast enough, as I was still in a weak form, which puts me at the disadvantage. I am well aware of how much more of a chakra reserve that I have cultivated from sage mode and kyuubi, but this is not the same Sasuke that I’m dealing with.

He isn’t even the same guy that we saw the first time standing by Orochimaru’s side after a stretch of two years. This is a ninja whose power is vast and unrestrained, yet unnatural. In contrast to my own chakra, his is cold.

That girl with the glasses, Karin, had said something similar the last time team seven had reunited. She said that he is no longer the Sasuke she once knew. I bite the inside of my lip, trying to conjure an image in my mind of who exactly the Uchiha prodigy currently is, but I come up with a blank. The image of Sasuke, white shirt and purple belt sinks further into the flames of iridescent violet that represent darkness. I cannot even distinguish his silhouette amongst the waves of hatred.

My memories of him as my teammate and best friend surface and suddenly slide side by side with my image of him now. The scene is sickening. The times we went on D rank missions such as weeding an old lady’s yard, finding lost pets, cleaning the river of trash and scrubbing building in Konoha. Those days seem so carefree and childish in this dark of the situation now. Our earnest banter belied that we all needed each other more than we would ever admit.

Just like how evident it was that Sakura considered me a nuisance at first, but found herself reliant on my strength and will to keep fighting. And then there was him. Our rivalry pushed us to new heights. At first it was one-sided on my part. But then, I started to prove myself just a little. And finally, Sasuke could not deny that we were on the same level, so he left. To think, that even his best friend could not stop him from doing something that he could never take back.

“Sasuke,” I breathe, chuckling slightly. “I never wanted to have to kill you; but if you are going to attack Konoha, then I have no choice but to stop you by any means possible.”

The laughing that resounded a minute later felt like liquid terror pooling in my stomach. The sound did not resemble the voice of Sasuke Uchiha, burdened prodigy with a heart of gold. This sounded sinister. But worse than that of a guy like Orochimaru or Zabuza. This was the laugh of someone no longer present in reality. Pure, insane jets of sound. I wanted to punch him lightly in the shoulder like old times and hear his residual resent and retaliation. By the tone of his voice, the notion itself seemed ludicrous.

“Naruto,” he seethes like poison, “You are a fucking broken record. I do not know what new abilities you have obtained, but I do intend to end you here and now. I have let you live one too many times on a whim. None of your preaching can change my mind; unless you can pull my family and clan out of your ass, you had better prepare to die.”

“Don’t worry,” I bite, “I am.”

The first blow collapses the entire cave structure.


	3. And Finally, We Died Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the brink of death, Sasuke chooses his hate over his friends and the two ninja die. However, their minds awaken in a different realm where they are briefed with a mission sent from…

**And Finally, We Died Together**

_They say that if two elite ninja exchange blows, then they can read what is inside each other’s hearts. Sasuke, can you read what my heart is telling you?_

                  I rush forward, shadow clones leading the way. They poof out of existence in a mere second, leaving the true, corporeal body to be bared. Once again, my fist of iridescent orange chakra slams into a bolt of lightning chakra.

I see it. I see him, smiling at a sign that reads ‘The Great Naruto Bridge’. I see him hesitate when the man in the orange mask states that their new target is Konoha. But the most important thing that I could ever read in his heart is the feeling he got in the Valley of the End, and the very same feeling echoed in the new team 7’s infiltration of Orochimaru’s hideout. The one burst of emotion mixed into the spiraling hate, fear, determination, and pain.

                  And I know by the way we are moving slower, breathing harder and making clumsy mistakes that we are almost finished. The muscles in my right leg are nearly decimated and half the fingers on my right hand are mangled in a way that is too gruesome to look at. Those are just the ones I can feel. On the other side of things, I shattered Sasuke’s right arm and singed off half of his hair with my chakra.

                  We pause, circling each other again like wild animals in battle over territory. That is exactly what we are. Feral. Our breaths create a rhythm of _in, out, in, out_. For the smallest slice of a second before we both lurch forward again, our eyes meet. His, cold and empty. Black and sorrowful. Not the curious and willing gaze that I held many a time in our youth. Just three years ago seems like a lifetime.

                  It was well into the dead of night, and the spring air is starting to warm. I can tell that dawn is soon approaching, and we have been at a stalemate for hours. Neither of us have uttered more than a few words at a time, so concentrated on our truly frightening abilities as a ninja, and the way our punches convey much more than could be said.

                  At first, I was rather paranoid about why no one had come out of the currently destroyed hideout. Why would the masked man, Uchiha Madara, hide in this situation? I know for a fact that he wants to come after me, like the Akatsuki did with Gaara and take the Kyuubi. Well, I’m here and I’m weak and alone. Why? I know the answer. It is simply because he no longer cares about what Sasuke does. He already got the attack on Konoha that he wanted. The only thing left for the masked man to do is to obtain the tailed beasts in me and KillerBee. I have seen it a thousand times before; when a bad guy wants something and is not afraid to trample on all of his followers to get there. I was right. This whole time, he was using Sasuke to create the tensions necessary to fuel the war full scale.

                  “What exactly,” I shout from a distance, “were you planning on doing after you get revenge on the village that raised you?”

                  “Obviously, I’m going to rebuild my clan.”

                  “Genereally one has to like people and be liked to have babies with them, Sasuke,” I taunt, laughing slightly before. He just glares at me. The expression is almost reminiscent of times when I was showing off my ninja skills and he had to watch, jealous and indifferent. I chuckle and swipe a finger under my nose to scratch it. Air whizzes past my elbow, and Sasuke’s body is ramming into my shoulder, pushing me across the land and shattering one of the last remaining vertebrae from the skeletal structure that once rested here. We both fall to our knees, choking for oxygen.

                  “I’m surprised you can still see after using your eyes so much,” I comment, remembering the dull milky color that had filmed over his eyeballs the last time we met.

                  “If I could fully use the Mangekyou, I would certainly be blind right now,” he gasps into my shoulder, digging his knee deeper onto my foot. The pain explodes up my damaged leg, but I focus on his statement. Sasuke tried genjutsu multiple times on me. I avoided all of the attacks, except for one. In that one attack, though, I was able to substitute the vessel of the kyuubi that lays dormant in me, thus not experiencing the attack, but watching instead. So that was the Mangekyou.

                  “I met him,” I say, strongly. “Your brother.”

                  “So have many,” Sasuke replies coolly, poison seeping into his tone.

                  “Yeah,” I frown, remembering the conflict he posed to me. To choose your village, or the person you care about? “He and I are alike. I am fighting you, a person I consider as a brother, right now to save Konoha. He fought his own clan to keep the peace in his beloved home as well. I told him that I would find a way to do both. It looks like a lied.”

                  “Nothing gives you the right to talk about him like you know him. You are just another bastard of that village who stood back and left him with no other option. You should die like the swine you are,” the guy practically spits in my face, eyes spinning manically.

                  “Okay,” I sigh, standing up and brushing dust off of my jacket. “Come at me. Give it all you have left, and I will not hold back. It is finally time to end this, Sasuke.”

                  “Hn.” He stands as well. The purple belt, reminiscent of Orochimaru, lays tattered around his hips. The sword sheath and sword were long since broken and lost. Neither of us have even a single ninja tool with us, nor do we have more than one percent of our life chakra left. For many ninja in the world, it would be impossible to be conscious in the condition that we are in, but we are in the fight of our lives.

                  Pulling the last of the kyuubi chakra that I saved in a clear jar that sits on the floor of my soul room, I mould it into the last rasen-shuriken that I can make. By not throwing it, the nerves in my arms will completely disconnect, but it does not matter. This will surely kill him. I can sense how truly low his life chakra is in sage mode. Pulling from the last of my willpower, I rush to meet the crackling lightning that voices the sound of a thousand chirping birds.

 ~

                  _Is this…oblivion? I cannot feel a square inch of my body, but nor can I see anything either. I know for certain that I am not inside my own head because that has always appeared to me to be an industrial hallway with leaky plumbing and, recently, the pagoda archway that surrounds the kyuubi chakra._

_The more I try to make sense of things, the more I feel like my head is spinning. I stop, calming my racing thoughts and the memories of things in my past that I would never recall on a normal basis. As my mind slows, my dizziness subsides and seems to flatline at a floating sensation. I hear something…like a voice._

_A child is crying softly in the distance. The sobs and whimpers sound muffled, like the child is hiding somewhere, or covered by something. Another, deeper voice joins into the noise.This voice, however, is calmer and soothing. The sobbing lets up a little bit. The more the older voice speaks, the more the tone of the child’s voice gets more meek, then more eager, then happy._

I get it, _I shout in my mind._ It is Sasuke and his older brother when they were kids. He was such a little crybaby, but his brother always wanted to protect him and make him smile. _All sound stops once more, but then see a black raven fly past my head and disappear before I hear a satisfied chuckle through the mist. The mist which most definitely was not here before. And I’m pretty sure the ground wasn’t the broad branch of a tree, either._

_I start to feel my body again, and I notice that I appear to be materializing. I stand in my bare feet, orange pants and black shirt, alone on the tree limb. What the heck is going on? Is this what happens when you die? I suppose no one could have told me this. What am I to do now? I look around, and start to notice that directly in front of me, two dark shapes are quickly advancing to my location. Holy crap. Am I supposed to fight or something? My body feels okay, but I can’t feel my chakra at all…_

_“Uzumaki Naruto,” says a sharp, unfamiliar voice. The figures sudden materialize, revealing themselves to be the First and Second Hokages. Oh god. This is like a dream. I’m dreaming…yes?_

_“No,” says the Sandaime, looking highly neutral and regal. “You died.”_

_“So I_ am _dead?”_

_“Yes,” replies the first, “but you can’t die yet. You are the child of prophecy.”_

_“Look, that much I know,” I state, waving my hands around, hoping to gain some more explanation, or at least reaction._

_“It is understandable that you are confused, decendent of the Uzumaki clan, but you must let us explain.” The second chimed in again, echoing the first. “The prophecy was very long and very unclear to the ancient frog who read it to you. He didn’t even have time to receive the entire message. There were two additional things in the prophecy that had not been sent to the frog before you died. As you might imagine, these_ tasks _are_ not _optional.”_

_“Are you saying that I somehow still have to do these things even though I’m dead? How am I supposed to do that? That is impossible!”_

_“Not if you can come back to life,” Tobimaru counters, shaking his head regretfully. “You probably already realize that you are not a normal child. But you are also a ninja. It is a ninja’s honor to protect his village.”_

_“I understand,” I say slowly, “and I will try my best to complete whatever tasks need to be done, as long as you can explain them to me.”_

_The first and the second nod to each other, wearing matching knowing smiles. The will of fire lives on. “Naruto,” the first boldly states, “it is your duty to eliminate the threat of a man that calls himself Tobi and Madara Uchiha. The man who discraced the name of the Sage of Six Paths and caused your own parents death. And upon doing so, you must also reunite the the older and younger son of the Sage by building a village that is ruled by their descendents. In other words, you, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke shall re-build the Hidden Village of the Whirlpools and guide the world into peace.”_

_I swear, my eyes must have been popping straight out of my head. I can feel my hands and knees shaking, but I clench my fists and bite my lip before replying, “You have got to be kidding me.”_

_~_

_Nigh five minutes of freaking out later, I am now sitting on the barked surface and twiddling my thumbs. Every few minutes, I grab two chunks of my hair with my hands and growl in frustration. The two kages told me the history of the Sage of Six Paths, and how he really was a person. They also explained my connection to the former Hidden Whirlpool Village and the history it had. I was feeling bombarded with knowledge, but seeing no way out. That’s when a thought hit me. I looked up to where the two Leaf leaders were standing silently, like the dead. They both regaurd me._

_“Wait, where is Sasuke now?” They exchange a nervous glance, which makes spiders crawl up my spine._

_“We don’t know,” the first shrugs, amusement in his eyes and tone of voice. Oh. I guess I can’t expect them to know the answer to everything._

_“But,” the water-user interjects, “I can only assume he is receiving similar news to you in his own realm. Of course, once you both accept this task, you will be sent back to the living world.”_

_I nod absentmindedly, trying to absorb what is being said. There is just no way Sasuke will agree to this. Even if he does, that doesn’t mean we will be able to work together to do it. Sending a brief smile to the first hokage, I turn slowly and begin to wander. There is nothing left for me to do but wait until we are sent back to the real world._ It looks like we are yet to be free of our burdens, Sasuke. I will be waiting.


	4. Another Reason to Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are reunited in the real world once more, but just as they always had been before, the clashing of their personalities persist. Will Sasuke go along with the prophecy, or reject it all together?

I must have fallen asleep at some point when I was wandering around the misty tree because I found myself stirring from the dregs of restfulness, and awareness started to return to my limbs. It was like any other morning of waking up to find myself in the outdoors (whether on a mission or otherwise). I felt at peace for a few moments, before realizing that this was quite out of the norm, considering the events that had previously transpired. So, I took note of my surroundings. The sky, a melted ice blue is freely dotted with lazy puffs of clouds and the air is warm, but not in the sweltering way of summer. There is a forest of trees facing me from my back left and a rocky cliff looming directly ahead. I lay now on a grassy patch of clear ground, sunlight dusting warmly over my skin.

The sage training has taught me to sit so still that even now, I can feel the feet of birds trodding along my legs and torso. I am still wearing my orange pants and black shirt, from what I can tell. My black ninja sandals are now on my feet, however, and I can feel the weight of the konoha forehead protector resting in its place on my forehead.

I close my eyes for another thirty seconds, enjoying the sensation of entering waking, full of energy, before I flex my major leg and upper torso muscles in order to sit up. I look at my right leg, remembering the extreme amounts of pain that it was causing me not too long ago…however long ago that was. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, I would say about seven hours. But then again, I could have been away for days for all I know.

I pretty much have to chalk all of this up to the mysterious powers of the dead hokages and the prophecies, but it is still very impressive. I didn’t even have to go through a healing process, let alone a very long resting time. In fact, I am feeling quite at peace and maybe even a bit happy. The thought causes me to give a weak laugh. A bit happy? More like joyful! I am not dead! I lived, somehow. That alone is fantastic news.

When I do stand, I notice movement out of the corner of my right eye and turn to see a white and black shape stirring, probably around a hundred yards away. The shape stands, and turns forwards to face me as well. I squint, shielding my eyes from the sun and my suspicions are confirmed. It’s Sasuke.

Butterflies flutter uncomfortably in my stomach, adding a strange nervousness to the excitement of the situation. We both walk towards each other, slowly, but steadily. It takes about two minutes before I can make out the details of his face, which do not differ very much from when I previously saw him. As pale as he was must be as tan as I am. His dark hair contrasts mine, which is very light. Complete polar opposites. But yet, our destinies are intertwined.

When we both are a foot away from each other, we stop abruptly. I find it isn’t hard to keep his gaze locked with mine, but both of our minds are silent. This very same pose we have faced so many times. But now, where does he stand? Where do _we_ stand? I crack first, and give a hesitant smile, probably all too similar to the one I used to share with him as a little kid. _Go ahead,_ my smile says, _I’m ready to hear anything._

He looks at me, eyes devoid of emotion. Those eyes are no longer glossed over in blindness, or oozing out red and black, but rather, they remain stagnant and dull. His lips part once, not making any sound, and then close. I wait.

“Itachi,” he begins, voice cutting itself off for a moment, “sealed some of his chakra in you at one time. He knew that we would fight for our lives at some point and….he wanted to talk to me. He told me a lot of things…I still want to kill those who made his life one of suffering, but I am so foolish. Running around, acting tough, when really I am so weak. Used. Used by Uchiha Madara. I no longer know what I want. But, my heart won’t stop letting me rely on you. My body still moves on its own to protect you. Why? I wish I could understand, but now I have nothing left to lean on. I…I need someone who needs me.”

And I could feel his words in my heart. He really loved his brother so desperately. I wish I could fill that hole that Itachi left in Sasuke’s heart, but I am only a fighting dreamer. It almost didn’t even surprise me when Sasuke’s eyebrows scrunch up and his lips pull into the most painful of frowns as tears squeeze from black eyes and run like waterfalls down his cheeks.

I’ve cried in that exact way so many times as a kid that I got sick of crying and I stopped. I can tell that Sasuke never let himself cry for his family once in a while. I reach my hand out, and place it firmly on his shoulder. He jerks, and looks me in the eyes, his own eyes widening.

“It’s okay to feel that way,” I say, “but it hurt me too, you know. You leaving and everything. I was the only one left in Konoha who still forgives you. Even Sakura was prepared to kill you, for the longest of times. You made people suffer, Sasuke, just like people made your family suffer, too. When I look at Gaara and I look at myself, I see ninja who have learned to forgive those who have once wronged them.”

I remember how Pain was also trying to fix the world by killing innocent people. How he saw that making people understand his suffering would help them not to do wrong again. But in the end, he used the last of his life energy to revive the lives of the innocents that he killed, to which they are forever grateful. I kind of wanted to kill him to avenge the Pervy sage, but that notion died instantly when I saw that my village was in danger and also when I understood his story.

“Would you still forgive me now, Naruto?” Sasuke asks, confidence returning to his voice.

“You don’t even have to ask. We are friends.” I nod at the end of the sentence, grinning as wide as possible.

 ~

                  “So, about the prophecy…” I say, lazily picking at the dandelions nearby where we are lounging in the grass. Yellow pollen coats my fingers, and I sneeze. Sasuke turns his head towards me, tilting it to the side. “Well, how the hell are we going to defeat that orange mask guy?”

                  “Che,” Sasuke sounds, batting my hand away from the flowers, “How the hell would I know, dobe? And who said anything about ‘we’? Isn’t this your prophecy?”

                  I feel my ears and face go red with anger. “Don’t. Call. Me. Dobe!”

                  “Do-be,” Sasuke says again, staring innocently at the sky.

                  “Gahhhh, shut up you bastard!”

                  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

                  “ _I_ was the one who asked a question!”

                  “So?”

                  “You’re so frustrating, Sasuke,” I grumble, folding my arms and pouting. “I never really thought about how I have to kill him. I get the feeling going in blindly isn’t a good approach.”

                  The Uchiha gives me a look with a raised eyebrow that says, _you weren’t seriously considering that, were you?_

                  “You’re the one who worked for him,” I yell, pointing. “You should know about his ninjutsu!”

                  Sasuke sighs, poking his own forehead with a few fingers. “He doesn’t use ninjutsu, dobe. He mostly used genjutsu and forbidden time/space jutsu.”

                  “My father used that.”              

                  “What did you just say?”

                  “I said,” I say, slowly, “that my father could use loads of time/space jutsu as well as summoning and sealing.”

                  Sasuke stares at me, expressionless but at the same time, almost contemplating. I fidget uncomfortably as it goes on.

                  “Would you stop that?” I ask, getting angry again.

                  “Sorry,” he shrugs, not sounding sorry at all. I grind my teeth and clench my fists, but he just turns and breaths in a long, deep breath.

                  “He was the fourth hokage,” I say, quietly.

                  “You didn’t know?” Sasuke inquires, as we both stare at the horizon.

                  “What, you knew?” I ask, shocked.

                  “Not for a while,” Sasuke admits, biting his lip, “but once I figured out that you had the kyuubi sealed in you, I put the pieces of the puzzle together.”

                  “No one told me,” I bite out bitterly.

                  “There seem to be a lot of secrets that Konoha keeps from its citizens.”

                  I hum in response, but I feel no malice towards the village. They may have treated me like dirt and kept me in the dark, but I have made bonds with the people there. And it is my duty as a ninja to protect them.

                  The weather is so nice that I loose myself in it. The air is highly oxygenated and the sun feels so good on my skin. If I were at all tired, I could fall asleep. We both sit in silence except for the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and the birds twittering to each other. It is probably half an hour before either of us utter another word.

                  “Hey, bastard, where do you think we are?” I ask, stretching my arms over my head from where I lie flat on my back. I can’t see his face, but I assume he is thinking based on his silence.

                  “The air here is very salty and fishy,” he ponders, “and looking at the the soil and the types of birds… I would guess that we are on a small island somewhere between Fire country and Water country. I can almost see Fire country to the West…”

                  I crane my neck upwards to confirm my suspicions: Sasuke had his Sharingan activated. They still give me the creeps to this day, ever since I first saw them. The red suddenly fades from his eyes, and he turns his head to look at me. I sit up, folding my legs in a circle.

                  “Ahh, I see,” I say, recalling what my mother told me, “then this must be the former hidden village of the whirlpools.”

                  I look at him, and he looks at me in the same way. We stare for about a minute, before turning away once more and standing up. Neither of us has to say a word in order for us to agree on this: we have to look around.

 ~

                  Four hours later finds us meeting up at the same place in which we found ourselves this morning. We both were taking survey of the island to see if anyone else was here and what buildings or items were still left of the village. Some of the ruins were just plain cool! But there was no time to really have a look around. Sasuke said that we had to make a map of this place as soon as we could so that we won’t get lost. I couldn’t find a reason not to, so the blank scroll that Sasuke had in his pants pocket was split between us as well as some charcoal that was part of a burned down shrine a mile into the forest.

                  I hold out my half of the island map, and he takes it. It irks me because why does he get to look at it first? But the face he is making at the map distracts me from that thought.

                  “What?” I grumble.

                  “You drew this?” He asks, waving the page limply in the air.

                  “Yeah, so?” I growl.

                  “Your handwriting is chicken scratch.”

                  “Is not! See…” I grab the lower section of the map and lean in. “There is the toad rock, and here is the spiral courtyard.”

                  “I honestly cannot read a word of this.”

                  “Well, what am I supposed to do?” This is very annoying. It isn’t like I wrote messy; this is the best handwriting I have.

                  “Naruto,” Sasuke says peculiarly, “who taught you how to write?”

                  “Who?” I laugh. “Who? I taught myself, you bastard. It isn’t like I had anyone to teach me.”

                  “How did you learn?”

                  “I just copied what I saw in scrolls and stuff. I also spied on some of Ms. Takana’s book club meetings. They read the books out loud and I followed along.”

                  Sasuke looks at me for a moment and then mutters something unintelligible before speaking. “I’m going to teach you how to write properly, dobe.”

                  “I write just fine!”

                  “Isn’t there always room for improvement?” He grabs a big piece of charcoal from his pocket and hands it to me, as well as some paper from the scroll. I take them, on autopilot, and follow him to sit next to a smooth surfaced boulder on the ground.

                  “Now,” he begins, grasping his own piece of charcoal in a graceful, delicate manner. I position my own hand for writing. “No, no, not at all. You have to—here. And just—Okay. See?”

                  “This feels very weird,” I mutter, watching the final result of his hands form fitting mine around the writing tool. His hands are cold and rough.

                  “If you have been gripping the pencil so badly all of your life, it is bound to feel strange,” he counters, going back to face his charcoal and paper once more. “Now, the regular Japanese alphabet. I’ll start with the K’s, so pay attention! Then you try it.”

                  I nod, watching as the Uchiha boy clears his throat and hovers his hand above the page. He then dips it down, slowly arcing out the first curve of the letter ‘ka’. It is a lot more rounded and upright than mine. He adds the supporting line and then the extra dash on the outside with very simple movements, before finally turning to look at me.

                  I gulp, and focus hard on the page, trying to mimic his grace and elegance. My handwriting was never something I paid mind to; some people have worse handwriting than others. But now that he asks me whom it was that taught me to write, I realize that most kids had their parents to reinforce good penmanship. I consider myself lucky to have gotten by thus far.

                  Forty minutes later, I’m swooping down on the last curve of the letter ‘n’ when my stomach makes a noisy gurgled complaint. I drop my charcoal and grab my stomach with both arms, feeling disgusted and embarrassed from the sound, but hungry nonetheless.

                  “Boy, I really want a huge bowl of ramen,” I daydream out loud, imagining the flavors of the broth and deliciousness of the noodles.

                  “There is no ramen on this island, dobe,” says an infuriating voice belonging to a person that I had forgotten about.

                  “Well, I am starved,” I complain, waving a hand in the air and folding my arms.

                  “Hn,” he grunts, and then pushes off the ground with one hand, “we will just have to go fishing.”

                  “I bet I can catch more fish than you.”

                  “I bet you can’t catch one.”

~ 

                  To be fishing for a meal is comfortable and refreshing. I do like grilled fish and squid a whole lot. Kakashi-sensei would be upset to see that I’m still eating greasy, salty foods, but it isn’t like I know anything about edible plants in this region! And forget about mushrooms if we have fish. The fish by the ocean are very different than the river fish of Konoha. A total of two blue finned specimens with swords for noses were all we needed to eat. And _I_ caught one!

                  “See, Sasuke?” I boast, lazily walking backwards with my arms behind my head. “I can totally catch a stupid fish.”

                  “Yes, you certainly have improved. Now you are less useless and more lame.”

                  I glare and growl in response, but then observe the two fish in the pouch on Sasuke’s back that we made out of our shirts. They sure look yummy, whatever they are.

                  “Hey!” I shout suddenly, making the Uchiha boy jump. “If we are going to be the leaders of this place in the future, we should be able to name stuff whatever we want to.”

                  “Stuff?” Sasuke frowns. “Like what?”

                  “Those fish,” I point, “I was thinking about naming them the blue idiot fish.”

                  “Ahh, after yourself.”

                  “Wha—no! Of course not,” I laugh rambunctiously. “When we caught them, they just swam right up to us and wiggled around instead of swimming away to safety.”

                  “Yeah,” Sasuke hums, “they are pretty pathetic, aren’t they? Thinking that they are safe from danger, but really they are leaving themselves wide open.”

                  Arriving back at our destination, Sasuke slings the fish to the ground and starts to fix the arrangement of the logs in the fire pit. I kneel by the fish and begin skewering them with some long sticks that we collected earlier. When I’m done, I stand back and Sasuke uses fire jutsu to start the cooking. Then, we sit on decaying log that dried in the sun.

                  “Naruto,” Sasuke says purposefully, “can I…take a look at your chakras?”

                  “Huh? Why?”

                  “They seemed different when we were fighting…”

                  “That’s because they are!” I inform him. “But you can look if you want to, I guess.”

                  Sasuke nods and closes his eyes, scooting closer to me on the log so that our knees touch. I try to stay still and normal as he extends a hand towards my face and flashes his eyes open, red and black spiraling.

                  I close my eyes once, but when I open them I see my soul room, exactly as it has been since I took control of the kyuubi’s chakra. Sasuke appears on my left, along with a loud booming voice.

                  “Uchiha!” Shouts the kyuubi, writhing around in its prison. “Why is it that we meet again?”

                  “Once again, Fox Demon,” Sasuke states, “ you pose a threat to the ninja world.”

                  “Oh really?” The demon purrs. “What is it this time?”

                  “Madara Uchiha.”

                  “Him?! NO!” The kyuubi lets out a roar, rattling the bars of its cage. I brace myself for the aftershocks and waves of water.

                  “He plans to revive the ten tails.”

                  “I _am_ the ten tails, boy,” the beast replies, settling down in his cage, still restless. “Even now, I can feel my kin reunited once more, but still suffering. Suffering at the hands of a man. A man named Uchiha Madara. He is no more then another insignificant, puny human. But yet, I wish to see him go to hell!”

                  “Just sit tight, fox,” I yell, clenching a fist. “I will not forgive those who have made the village suffer!”

                  The kyuubi grunts, amused. “I guess I don’t care why you’re doing it. As long as that man dies. Permanently.”

                  Black starts to cloud the edges of my vision, and feeling returns to my body. I open my eyes to see Sasuke looking back at me, a mirror image. Dread sinks in my stomach like a cold rock. This is really happening now, isn’t it? I have to either defeat the founder of the Uchiha clan, or let the world fall to evil. A bird overhead caws ominously.

                  “There is no time to spare, Sasuke,” I say, eyes cast toward the ground. “I have to go as soon as possible. I think the hokages sent us here just so that we would know where it is. But, we can’t linger. The world is waiting for a hero.”

                  The black-haired ninja nods sharply and decisively. I return the gesture and stand, facing the wind. The sky is so blue and peaceful.


End file.
